The New Year has been a great one for action movies with titles such as Kong: Skull Island, The Great Wall, Underworld: Blood Wars, and many more. That being said, one of the most prominent flicks has been John Wick: Chapter 2, which has capitalized on the successes of the first film, John Wick. With tons of “gun-fu” action sequences, the new sequel has stayed true to the aspects that audiences loved about the first film. Additionally, Director Chad Stahelski added to the sense of world building with the underground world of secret assassins, as well as a more comic book touch. “When it came to John Wick 2, we expanded his skill base but kept the same mentality. We said, we’re going to train you again as a high level stunt performer. And from that we evolved into the choreography. We’re not move to move specific. We didn’t know we were going to be in the catacombs of Rome until we were in the catacombs of Rome. J.J. And I go to Rome and we’re walking around the tunnels and he’s laughing like a fool at all the opportunities, and I’m wondering how we’re ever going to shoot down here. He was a kid in Toys ‘r Us,” expressed Stahelski.

Though the first film was a relatively straightforward action movie, several saw the potential for a great franchise due to these various elements, and hoped the follow up could deliver on that promise. Fortunately, John Wick: Chapter 2 delivers plenty more of what fans want, while fleshing out the property’s mythology and lore in fascinating ways. “I definitely liked how the whole universe was expanded when we were introduced to other hitmen. Many of those characters helped to move the story without it ever becoming stagnant,” stated Adam Cullen (19’). Adding to that, Aaron Abshire also added, “I loved the fight sequences. I thought they were perfect in the original film, but in the sequel, they appeared to be smoother and more impactful.” All in all, many critics have stated that this franchise has the potential to be the next James Bond 007 franchise. Whether it will is up for debate, however, Lionsgate has already confirmed that another installment is in the works.